978-0073403267 Chapter 9 Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

Module 9

Formats for Letters and Memos

LO 9-1 Apply principles for correct letter formats.

LO 9-2 Apply strategies for professional image creation with

documents and beyond.

LO 9-3 Recognize courtesy titles for correspondence.

LO 9-4 Apply principles for correct memo formats.

Module Overview

Some students already know that letters typically go to people outside

of an organization, while memos are preferred for internal documents.

However, the actual formats for these documents may be less apparent

to them. Format refers to the parts of a document and the way they

are arranged on the page (PP 9-3).

Formats for e-mail are still evolving, but the standards in this module

are applicable for many e-mail systems.

 Teaching Tip: Many colleges provide e-mail at little or no cost to students, and

free e-mail is available from various Web companies. However, if you school has a

standardized e-mail system, use it as the basis for instruction in your class.

Encourage students to learn the system, working through its quirks and style

preferences. If it is a widely used system, you might adapt the information here to

using it properly.

Like anything in business, organizational culture and discourse community affect the choice of

format for a document. Therefore, the standards expressed in this module may be different than

those in individual organizations. Nonetheless, students should learn and use these formats for

your course—establishing format standards will help students understand the workings of any

document format, making it easier for them to adapt to new ones.

 Teaching Tip: Follow the guidelines in this book for all class documents you

submit to your students and expect students to do the same for documents they

submit to you.

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

In-Class Exercise: Have students collect examples of what they consider

documents formatted well. Let them compare what they’ve found to the principles

in this module. How do they overlap? Where they differ, how might the document

look if book principles were applied? Can even a good document format be made

better? Let students share their findings with the class.

What’s in This Supplement

This supplement is organized around the major questions posed in Module 9. It covers

Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises Page 126

Part 2: Answers to Textbook Assignments Page 141

PowerPoint presentations can be found at our Web page at www.mhhe.com/bcs6e.

Questions (with answers) suitable for quizzes are in the Instructor’s Test Bank. For student

practice quizzes with answers, see our Web page.

Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises

How should I set up letters? LO 9-1

Use block and modified block format.

The two most common letter formats are block (sometimes called full

block) and modified block. Figures 9.2 and 9-3 (pp. 128-129) show

examples of each. The primary differences are whether indentations

are used and the location of the date and complimentary close.

As described on PP 9-4 and PP 9-5, components of letters can include

Salutation

Complimentary Close

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

 Teaching Tip: Ask students what is wrong with using a complimentary close like

“Your most humble servant” or “Anxiously awaiting your reply” in business

communication? What might they think about the individual or organization that

uses such a complimentary close?

Mixed Punctuation

Open Punctuation

Subject Line

Reference Line

Enclosures

 Teaching Tip: Ask students to consider how important document format is to

them. For instance, if correspondence seems improperly formatted, how seriously

do they take it? If parts are missing, such as a salutation, how do they feel? Do

they have examples of poorly formatted correspondence to share with the class?

Letterhead is preprinted stationery with the organization’s name, logo, address, and phone

number. Though most companies use letterhead, not all students have access to their own.

Therefore, it’s important that students understand to use a return and inside addresses if they are

not using letterhead. Figure 9.4 (p. 131) shows an example for use in class.

In-Class Exercise: Give students 15-20 minutes to create their own letterhead. If

you are in a computer-equipped classroom, let them use available software. If not,

let them draw, however crudely, a freehand version. What’s important is for

students to sense how letterhead may affect spacing on the page. How much of the

top margin disappears? What about the left and right margins? If possible, bring in

examples of various kinds of letterhead, showing students space limitations created

by each.

Copies of other documents can be sent along with the principal document. Cc and bcc denote

computer (or carbon) copies and blind computer copies, respectively.

Second and more pages of letters lack letterhead. Instead, use a header that indicates who the

message is to, page number, and date, as illustrated in Figure 9.5 (p. 133).

Building a professional image, 1 LO 9-2

Block and modified block formats.

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

Many students assume that creating a professional image is mostly about clothing, such as

wearing a conservative suit at a bank or a corporate office, but veteran employees know that a

professional image is suggested by so much more, including how organized they and their desks

are, the kinds of photos and knickknacks they display, and even the music they might listen to.

Use PP 9-9 and PP 9-10 to show students some of the other ways in

which they can demonstrate professionalism on the job:

The way you and your documents look affects the way people

respond to you and to them.

To make your document look professional.

Use good visual impact (◀◀ Module 5).

Edit and proofread to eliminate errors and typos (▶▶

Modules 14 and 15).

Make sure the ink or toner is printing evenly.

Use a standard format.

Of course, standards will differ according to organizational culture,

as well as fads and fashion. The more casual clothing that is

acceptable at the office today can give way to the dressier styles of tomorrow, for instance, or

vice versa. Employees should carefully observe just what is and isn’t possible to see how the

definitions of professionalism evolve.

In-Class Exercise: Give students 10-15 minutes to discuss situations where they

thought someone wasn’t being professional. Was it a specific behavior?

Appearance? Work area? What had they expected or wanted instead? If they could

offer the employee advice, what would it be? Finally, ask students to determine if

the lack of professionalism truly reflected that person’s job performance or just

offended the their sensibilities. What do their answers reveal about the expectations

of customers or coworkers about professionalism?

What courtesy titles should I use? LO 9-3

Use “Ms.” unless a woman has a professional title or prefers a traditional title.

Use “Mr.” unless a man has a professional title.

As described on PP 9-11 through PP 9-13, unless students are on a

first–name basis with the reader, they should use courtesy titles. These

include Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Prof., and Sen. (Complete spellings of the

last two are also common.)

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

Students should be careful not to assume gender with names such as

Robin, Chris, Francis, Sean, or Lee. In cases where names are not

specific to gender and the writer does not know the reader, use the

complete name (e.g., Dear Chris Crowell). When students know

neither, they can use a job title, general group, or replace the salutation

with a subject line. Students should also bear in mind that names in

cultures other than their own may also carry connotations, including

suggesting gender.

Whenever using a list of names, the names should be expressed in

parallel form.

 Teaching Tip: Have students ever received

correspondence that assumed the wrong gender? Or that

they were married when they were single? Or that used the wrong courtesy title?

How did the mistake make them feel? What did they think about the individual or

organization that sent the correspondence? Have students bring examples they may

have to class and share.

In-Class Exercise: As a group, have students brainstorm as many names as

possible whose gender is neutral or unknown. In particular, tell students to

consider names that might represent non-western cultures or smaller cultural groups

in the U.S. or Canada.

How should I set up memos? LO 9-4

The standard memo format mimics block format but has no

salutation, close, or signature.

As illustrated on PP 9-14 through PP 9-16, memos are similar in basic

format to letters, but omit both the salutation and close. Memos also

lack paragraph indentations, always use subject lines, and sometimes

use headings. Though some memos are signed at the bottom with a

signature, most are only initialed at the top of the page, next to the

writer’s name.

Figure 9.8 (p. 138) illustrates a standard memo format. When

discussing it, be sure to point out elements that differ from letters.

 Teaching Tip: Because memos typically are internal

documents, their format and style may sometimes seem more casual than letters.

However, students should understand that the same expectations for neatness and

consistency in format apply. “Casual” is not synonymous with “unprofessional.”

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

In-Class Exercise: Ask students to write a memo introducing themselves to you.

They can discuss their programs of study, where they came from, what they hope to

accomplish, and any relevant work experiences. Write a similar memo to them

introducing yourself. In particular, share with them professional experiences that

relate to business and business communication.

Like the second pages of letters, beyond the first page of a memo, use

a header with who the message is directed to, page number, and date.

Letterhead should not be used beyond the first page.

How should I set up e-mail messages?

Formats are still evolving.

Students can create e-mail messages directly through their e-mail program or by cutting and

pasting information from a word processor.

As illustrated on PP 9-9, e-mail formats are evolving but share some basic features. Most

e-mail systems prompt users for information like address and subject lines. Of particular use to

students will be the ability to create attachments—documents appended to e-mail that can be

opened using other programs, such as a word processor. Many students will find this a

healthier—and cheaper—alternative to faxing or mailing documents.

Like paper documents, copies can be sent to others. Cc and bcc denote computer copies and

blind computer copies, respectively.

Students should make sure they include a relevant subject line (often indicated by “Re” in the

e-mail program).

 Teaching Tip: Many writers treat e-mail casually, not worrying about spelling,

grammar, or consistent use of capital letters, and texting and tweeting have,

perhaps, made the problem worse. Ask your students if they believe this is

appropriate in business. Do they view messages written using e-mail differently

than paper documents? Why or why not? How would they feel about a manager or

supervisor who sends e-mail with these kinds of errors?

In-Class Exercise: If you are in a computer–equipped classroom, let students

spend 10-15 minutes sending e-mail messages to a partner. Then have them

forward any messages received to at least two other people in the room.

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Module 09 – Formats for Letters and Memos

Students should review Module 13 for information on when it’s appropriate to use e-mail in

place of a letter or memo.

Last Word: Whatever formats for letters, memos, or e-mail messages students will

adopt in the workplace, they must make certain they stay consistent in using

formats. Having them adapt to one throughout your course will help them to

experience the steps to learning and mastering document formatting.

manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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